Stop misinformation about vaccination #stopAVN

The fringe movement that opposes vaccination is becoming more vocal. In spreading false information and creating unrealistic fear, they risk harming the integrity of our very successful immunisation programme, and the health of our children.

We know that, in areas where people stop vaccinating, there have been outbreaks of whooping cough and measles. Parents are understandably confused when fringe campaign groups, spreading misinformation, encourage parents to disbelieve the information given to them by their doctors, and suspect their doctors of intentionally deceiving them.

Deceptively-named groups like the Australian Vaccination Network, who say they are "pro-choice", actually discourage anyone from vaccinating, and deny that any vaccine works. Parents need reliable and accurate information about both benefits and side-effects of vaccines, from a reliable and reputable source.

We ask Minister Plibersek to speak out about the dangers of misinformation about vaccines, and to foster the development of an independent body to examine alleged vaccination complications and disseminate reliable and accurate information.

Letter to

Federal Health Minister of AustraliaMInister Tanya Plibersek

I just signed the following petition addressed to: Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek.

----------------Stop misinformation about vaccination by the Australian Vaccination Network.

The fringe movement that opposes vaccination is becoming more vocal. The AVN discourages parents from immunising their children with information that was found to be both “misleading” and a “threat to public health” by the NSW government.

In spreading false information and creating unrealistic fear, they risk harming the integrity of our very successful immunisation programme, and the health of our children.

Vaccination works because of herd immunity -- once a certain proportion of the population has been immunised, isolated cases can’t explode into epidemics. But in some areas where the AVN is active and eroding group immunity, cases of whooping cough rose by almost 400% in 2011.

Parents are understandably confused when fringe campaign groups, spreading misinformation, encourage parents to disbelieve the information given to them by their doctors and clinic nurses, and suspect their doctors of intentionally deceiving them. Parents need reliable and accurate information about both benefits and side-effects of vaccines, from a reliable and reputable source.

We ask Minister Plibersek to speak out about the dangers of misinformation about vaccines, and to foster the development of an independent body to examine alleged vaccination complications and disseminate reliable and accurate information.----------------